[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 146 (Monday, September 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        TRIBUTE TO JOHN McKENZIE

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the career and 
achievements of John McKenzie, owner of the McKenzie Apartment Company. 
Throughout his career, John has fused together his work in home 
construction with his passion for community service to establish the 
next generation of leaders in the housing industry.
  Born and raised in Madison, WI, John got his start in business 
working with his father in real estate. After graduating from UW-
Madison as a business major in 1971, he began his career in real estate 
development around the country, working from Cincinnati to San 
Francisco. In 1989, he returned to Madison where he had a significant 
impact on the region's real estate development and revitalization. 
During this period, he cofounded his family business, the McKenzie 
Apartment Company.
  John is somebody who takes deep pride in his work, creating both 
homes and opportunities to improve the lives of others. With this 
mission, John began working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane 
County. He recognized that, by working with the Boys and Girls Club, he 
could have a remarkable and lasting impact on the community by 
introducing skilled trades to the young people in the program. Having 
been a Madison Area Builders Association--MABA--member for 30 years, 
John connected the Boys and Girls Club with the MABA, and a lasting 
partnership has resulted.
  In collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County and the 
Madison Area Builders Association, John raised the significant funds 
needed to build and sustain a facility that provides space for youth 
ranging from elementary school to high school to participate in 
introductory trade activities. This year, the McKenzie Regional 
Workforce Center opened to train and connect a new generation of young 
people of diverse backgrounds to the skilled trades. A first-of-its-
kind project for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and a National 
Association of Home Builders--NAHB--affiliated local home builders 
association, the center will serve as a national template, preparing 
young people in Dane County for quality, family-sustaining jobs at a 
time when the skilled trades are facing a labor shortage. Due to John's 
innovative idea, a national movement was sparked to partner local Boys 
and Girls Clubs with the construction industry around the Nation. 
John's impact will be felt nationwide through 10 local partnerships 
that began in 2023 and another 20 beginning in 2024.
  With John's persistence, leadership and dedication to his community, 
he has impacted so many lives in our State. I am so pleased to join 
others in recognizing his success and accomplishments. I wish him and 
his family all the best and applaud his continued efforts in the 
skilled trades.

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